2010 Mercedes-Benz SL Class vs. Its Competition

That draws plenty of interest from shoppers interested in the Jaguar XK, which throbs with a new 510-hp V-8 engine and corners with a lighter, nimbler touch, thanks to its sexy aluminum body.

The Audi R8 is aluminum at its core, too, and its V-8 or V-10 engines-plus a new roadster body style-earn it the kind of credentials that rarely come to first-generation sports cars.

The classic Porsche 911 can be custom-fitted to any owner with turbo power, a Cabriolet roof, and all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, though all come with ever-improving interiors and a dizzying list of interior and exterior trim options.

Finally, the new Ferrari California hardtop convertible erases any notion of being a Magnum, P.I.

slider with 4-second acceleration times, all the famous engine noise you'd expect from a Ferrari, and taut near-exotic-car handling.